The 2023 UN Rwanda Common Country Analysis charts a path to effective delivery.
Joint planning is critical to achieving success in any collaborative endeavor because it helps to ensure that all parties are working together effectively, efficiently, and towards a common goal.
UN Rwanda, through the Common Country Analysis (CCA), has adopted the same path to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and contribute towards Rwanda’s social-economic development and well-being of citizens.
Following the 2021 update of the CCA that was used to inform the extension of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF, 2018-2024) for Rwanda, an update of the CCA is required to inform the next UNSDCF commencing in 2024/2025. This CCA will ensure the next UNSDCF is fit for purpose in Rwanda whilst integrating UN policy, emerging and contextual issues, and programming to contribute to the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
From the 8th -10th of May 2023, Heads of the UN agencies in Rwanda, members of the Programme Management Team (PMT), and the Resident Coordinators Office convened in Rubavu district for a collective reflection on the pertinent and emerging issues to be updated and/or integrated into the ongoing update of the CCA 2023, ensuring that the context analysis adequately captures the most relevant contextual changes, identifies key challenges and opportunities, and provides insights and guidance for potential programmatic responses and focus for the upcoming UNSDCF.
Caption: The UN Resident Coordinator, Mr. Ozonnia Ojielo making a statement during the 2023 UN Rwanda Common Country Analysis retreat at Rubavu District
While addressing the participants, the UN Resident Coordinator, Ozonnia Ojielo urged the PMT to break the silos and craft a CCA which portrays the UN’s collective offers to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Rwanda’s vision and Strategies for Transformation.
“By 2030 Rwanda wants to be in a middle-income status and upper-middle-income economy by 2050. We can connect to that journey and be an appropriate and useful partner in that story the same way United Nations was an effective partner for South Korea, Singapore, Botswana, and others”. He said during the workshop.
On the issue of strategic partnerships, Ozonnia reiterated the need for the UN Rwanda to continue purposefully engaging the key partners in different sectors for discussion as this will help to achieve the set goals and have a positive impact on Rwanda’s growth and development.
“In the new UNCT meetings, we will invite representatives of the Private Sector at least every quarter to understand what is happening in the sector, especially the newly available opportunities and, how we can collaborate and work together on new ideas”.
Apart from the private sector players, the UN Resident coordinator mentioned the intention to bring on board the academia and research centers as well. This will further help the organization to achieve greater impact by leveraging the strengths and ideas from other multiple sectors.
The Director of the UNECA sub-regional office for Eastern Africa Mama Keita echoed the need for more tactical thinking citing the current global trend that could impede achieving the SDGs.
“We should reflect on how to work better in this process, especially in the situation where resources are shrinking by identifying whom to work together and how to accomplish our set targets”. She said.
During the three-day workshop, participants brainstormed in different panel and group discussions under five thematic pillars which are: People, Prosperity, Planet, Peace, and Partnerships.
One of the focus areas tackled was Climate Change and the deteriorating ecosystems that are happening at a faster rate. Here, participants deliberated on how by 2030 the country should have a well-functioning ecosystem that is climate-resilient, including robust, integrated systems that manage related risks at all levels across all sectors to ensure a better future for all Rwandans.
It was further realized that the potential of Human Capital is not yet fully realized due to limitations in inclusive and equitable access, availability, affordability, quality, and resilience of basic services including justice and related structures, and this is a great opportunity to ensure that those left behind will have inclusive and equitable access to quality and resilient basic services including justice and protection in all settings to progress toward the realization of their full potential.
Going forward the UN system in Rwanda in its CCA update will aim to capture contextual changes, and identify root causes or drivers of key development challenges faced by Rwanda, including inequalities and discrimination against the poorest and most vulnerable, which may constitute the core issues to address in the new UNSDCF (2024 – 2030).
It will also identify accelerators, the implementation of which will enable cascade and diffusion effect among interlocking SDGs and solutions to generate maximum impact on the development context in the country.
In addition, the CCA will not only inform the UNSDCF but also the new and existing Joint Programmes (JPs) and Joint Work Plans (JWPs). Our work is set to be completed by July 2023.
The 5Ps
People
Although there have been some positive developments to eradicate poverty and hunger, it is evident that there is a need to strive to do more, particularly as the world confronts challenging issues such as conflicts and climate change, which have a direct impact on human well-being and dignity.
“We are trying to analyze the current situation, who are the people most affected, what are the needed interventions, what has worked in supporting them, what did not and how can we do better as one UN family in Rwanda,” said Dr. Theopista Kabuteni, Health Systems Advisor at WHO.
During the thematic analysis workshop group members of “people” discussed ways to level up the UN’s collective support to developing Rwanda’s Human Capital. It consists of the knowledge, skills, and health that people accumulate throughout their lives, enabling them to realize their potential as productive members of society.
The new Common Country Analysis should tackle the upstream approach of helping Rwandans achieve quality life, embracing diversity, and inclusion. “We looked at how we can work together, how strategically we can position ourselves within the landscape of development, and we ensure that we guarantee the support, to the Government, the way it requires it” Renata Tallarico, UNFPA Deputy Representative.
Prosperity
Rwanda’s economy has shown resilience against the backdrop of the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and most recently the ongoing global economic shocks; food and energy price crises. These continue to impact progress and overall socio-economic development and have particularly elevated the vulnerabilities of women, children, persons living with disabilities, migrants, refugees, people living with HIV, youth, and other groups, increasing their risks of being left behind.
Participants of the workshop analyzed the country’s macroeconomic developments including components of productivity, competitiveness, employment, positioning Rwanda for continental and regional integration, and climate-related challenges in the context of the macroeconomic frameworks.
An assessment was also delivered around who is affected the most; which sectors of the economy are most exposed in addition to plausible solutions going forward.
“Understanding the depth and response to domestic and global shocks that Rwanda has had to weather is important for building back better and informing our work to ensure that we are actually responsive. What is equally key is to determine the UN collective offer vis a vis the backward and forward linkages that climate change challenges have on the economy” Angela Zeleza, UNRCO Economist
The planet is facing multiple challenges, including a 1.1°C rise in global temperature, causing natural disasters and affecting 2 billion people's food security and 4.5 billion people's water supply.
“The CCA is an opportunity for all of us UN Agencies working in Rwanda regardless, of the sector or technical area or the mandate each of us has to genuinely pause and reflect on planetary health, the situation on climate change and how it is affecting our work, especially the attainment of the SDGs,” said Tiina Honkanen, WFP Strategic Outcome Manager.
Human activities have endangered over one million species, with biodiversity declining at an alarming rate. Discussions leading to UN Rwanda’s new CCA included adaptation and mitigation, Climate financing, Climate finance, Resilience, disaster risk reduction, and management.
“I am delighted to have contributed to the discussions bringing in regional aspects and I want to thank the Resident Coordinator’s Office to have considered for the first time the importance of considering climate security in our Common Country Analysis, “said Mabaye Dia, Climate Security Advisor, at the UN Regional Office for Central Africa.
Peace and sustainable development are interconnected, as one cannot be achieved without the other. The SDGs can only be achieved when there is peace and stability, as conflicts and violence disrupt progress and hinder development. The CCA will feature aspects of Good Governance fostering efficient service delivery, Inclusiveness of citizens in decision-making processes, space to civil society, and participatory and fair elections.
“We are very fortunate that we work in a peaceful country, but we recognize that anything short of good governance can undermine the gains we achieved together with the Government. Discussions enriched our vision on how we can better tackle accountability, sustainable peace and trust-building, and reconciliation’ said Emmanuel Macumu, UNDP’s National Project Coordinator.
Participants stressed the importance of peaceful and cooperative relations between Rwanda and its neighbors to define collective responses to regional challenges in stability and development.
“The situation we are operating in these days in the region has shown challenges. Rwanda is a key player in making regional integration happen. In this CCA, it is critical that we collectively assess our capacity to deliver and analyze the challenges of regional integration which hampers cross-border initiatives,” said Luc Ngowet, Senior Political Affairs Officer at the Office of the UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region
“The Sustainable Development Goals can only be realized with a strong commitment to global partnership and cooperation. In our discussion, we focused on innovative ways to unlock potential partnerships on internal financing, external financing, and development cooperation” said Admiral Ncube, Programme Management Officer at WHO Rwanda.
The 2030 Agenda is universal and calls for action by all partners. It requires partnerships between governments, the private sector, civil society, and academia.
